Making a will after having a baby UK

Why does a baby change whether you need a will?

Because GOV.UK says a will should set out who looks after children under 18, who inherits, and who is executor. A cot does not do that. Without a will, intestacy rules decide who inherits. Skip this if you already have a signed will that names a guardian and still fits.

The hospital bag is a packing list. This is the other list people skip because it is not on a retailer checklist. Name a guardian. Name an executor. Say who inherits. Then buy sleep kit. UK baby admin still sends benefits to GOV.UK. This page only says: a baby is the usual moment the intestacy rules stop being theoretical.

Source: GOV.UK — write your will (checked 13 Aug 2026).

Who should look after children under 18?

Name guardians in the will. Ask them first. A godparent title is not a legal appointment. Unmarried partners should check GOV.UK intestacy — a notes app is not a will. We are not a solicitor. Skip an online will if a previous family or a dispute is likely.

Ask the people you want to name. A surprise guardianship is how families fall out. If you share a home with someone you are not married to or in a civil partnership with, GOV.UK lists that as a reason to get professional advice — do not flatten it into a slogan. Check who inherits if there is no will rather than copying a forum total.

What makes a will valid in England and Wales?

GOV.UK: it must be in writing, signed by you, and witnessed by two people present at the same time, who then sign in your presence. Wet ink. An emailed PDF is not signed. Who drafted it does not replace that ceremony. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules. Skip e-signature gimmicks.

Witnesses should not be people who inherit. Tell the executor where the paper lives. GOV.UK lists home, a solicitor, a bank, a storage firm, or the probate registry. A company that insists on naming itself as executor is a different product. We will not pretend a download folder is a strongbox.

Source: GOV.UK — making a will (checked 13 Aug 2026).

Do you need a solicitor to make a will?

Not always. GOV.UK says get professional advice if the will is not straightforward — including a partner you are not married to, overseas property, a business, or people who may claim. A simple married-with-kids estate is the online-will job. Skip a PDF if any of those flags apply. We are not a solicitor.

SwiftWill is a same-company document service: Elite Digital AI Solutions Ltd also runs BabyNido. England and Wales only. When we checked on 13 August 2026 it was a one-time £35 PDF with free updates — confirm the live price on their page. They say they are not a law firm. Their own skip list matches GOV.UK’s “get advice” list: tax planning, trusts, foreign assets, disputes. Believe the skip. A will purchase is never required to use BabyNido.

Sister-site disclosure: SwiftWill is not an affiliate hop. There is no star and no /go/ wrap. Official GOV.UK pages stay first.

When should you update a will after a baby?

After the birth, and again if you separate, marry, or the guardian can no longer do it. A will that never names this child is the failure mode. Print, sign, tell the executor where it lives. Skip a storage subscription that names a company as executor. Official GOV.UK pages stay free.

GOV.UK says you update with a new will or a formal alteration called a codicil. A highlighter on last year’s printout is not a codicil. If you later change a name — changing a child’s name — the will still has to match the people you meant. A name change does not rewrite a will by magic.

What should you still buy first?

A legal car seat if you drive, and a firm sleep space, still come first as kit. A will is paperwork, not a product row. Do the will the same week you register if you can. Then nappies and sleepsuits. Skip using a grant to buy a wipe warmer. Official sleep and car-seat pages stay free.

How much a baby costs is order of spend for kit. This page is the document that kit cannot replace. Register a birth, claim Child Benefit on GOV.UK, sign the will, then keep the same trolley: mattress, seat, nappies, a few sleepsuits. Optional cover is life insurance after a baby.

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Where does Money Guide sit next to a will?

Money Guide is a sister site from the same company as BabyNido. It explains appointing guardians in more money depth. SwiftWill remains the document service for a straightforward England and Wales estate. GOV.UK still owns signing. Skip all three if you need a solicitor. Kit is not this job.

Money Guide on appointing guardians is the longer money explainer. SwiftWill stays the PDF for a simple England and Wales estate. Official making a will guidance stays first. Elite Digital AI Solutions Ltd runs all three. A purchase is never required to use BabyNido.

Sister-site disclosure: Money Guide and SwiftWill are not affiliate hops. There is no star and no /go/ wrap. Official GOV.UK pages stay first. Neither is financial advice or a law firm.